


Flock

by aboxthecolourofheartache



Series: Machineries in Fire [3]
Category: Machineries of Empire Series - Yoon Ha Lee, 琅琊榜 | Nirvana in Fire (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Child Soldiers, Fei Liu has a wonderful support system of people who love him, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, generalized Machineries of Empire universe unpleasantness, this is a little darker than my usual fare, though nothing happens 'on screen'
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-28 01:36:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15037838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aboxthecolourofheartache/pseuds/aboxthecolourofheartache
Summary: More NiF/MoE fusion universe!  Mei Changsu and Lin Chen discuss Fei Liu's origins.





	Flock

**Author's Note:**

> This was a [tumblr request](http://aboxthecolourofheartache.tumblr.com/post/175213531775/i-am-desperate-for-more-of-your-nifmoe-fusion-but) by [naye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/naye/pseuds/naye) who wanted more of the fusion 'verse, specifically with Fei Liu's origins and Fei Liu with servitors. Thank you for the request, dear! <3

“Where did he come from, anyway?” asks Mei Changsu. From the sound of it, he could be standing at the far end of Lin Chen’s desk watching Fei Liu play a leaping game with a trio of servitors. Both men - tangible and intangible - note the servitors’ uncanny devotion to the boy. The birdforms understand Fei Liu’s Kel-ness and his childishness. The game is based on deliberately and humorously modified Kel formations. They tease him by hovering out of reach or stabilize themselves so he can launch himself from their backs. (Lin Chen suspects Fei Liu communicates better in Machine Universal than in high language. He still won’t speak.)

Lin Chen’s fingertip halts just above a command key. Though it does no good, he slides his gaze in the direction of Mei Changsu’s disembodied voice. He gives the empty air a quizzical look verging on searing. “Are you asking me for confidential information about a patient? A patient who has not yet reached his majority?”

The numbers on the display rearrange themselves, chastened but frustrated. “I suppose I am, yes. Lin Chen, you know he won’t stay with you when I go. Formation instinct has a fist around his throat. He’s imprinted on me as his commanding officer and he can’t even _see_ me. If I don’t know where he came from, I could inadvertently trigger an episode or impede his recovery.”

“I would ask how long you’ve been planning that argument, but it’s all in the data feeds,” Lin Chen mutters bitterly. “I knew the graphs looked scheming lately….”

“Don’t be so self-congratulatory. I’m always scheming,” scoffs Lin Shu. This is progress from past adamant denial of his nasty devious streak. Lin Chen tallies it as a victory on his mental scoreboard of subtle successes.

“You realize you could solve the problem by ordering him to stay with me? He would be safe here at Langya.” Lin Chen says it even though he knows it isn’t an option. Fei Liu will follow Lin Shu come hell or high treason.

“He’ll crack, Lin Chen. It would be crueler to leave him behind than take him along. And he’s Kel. He’s meant for battle.” Mei Changsu knows as well as Lin Chen that Fei Liu turns into a panicky wreck when Lin Shu goes into the Black Cradle, much less leaves Langya Outpost. Robbed of his superior officer, Fei Liu is a fledgling Kel without guidance, desperate for reassurance Lin Chen cannot provide.

Lin Chen makes up his mind.

“Fei Liu!” Lin Chen calls the boy to him. The servitors flicker lights at each other and flank the child as he crosses the workspace.

Fei Liu’s head swivels, topknot swishing. Mei Changsu says, “Over here, fledge.”

The boy relaxes, eyes riveted to the place where Mei Changsu is and is not. Lin Chen’s heart breaks a little, but he does not let his voice betray him. “Fei Liu, may I tell Lin Shu about you? About how you came to Langya Outpost and about your health?”

Fei Liu glances briefly at Lin Chen then returns to staring at the air where Mei Changsu’s voice is. He tilts his head questioningly, waiting for orders or for a question or for something else.

“Fei Liu,” Lin Chen continues, “remember that I am not Kel. I’m the one asking for your permission. You can tell me no even if Lin Shu wants to know. Do you understand?”

Fei Liu furrows his brow at the Nirai.

“Changsu…,” says Lin Chen.

“Fledge, this is your choice, and yours alone. My order is this: do not take my interest in your history into account. Only answer Nirai Lin Chen in the affirmative if you, personally, want him to tell me. He is asking for your permission, and I give you permission to make your own choice to tell Nirai Lin Chen yes or no. Your decision either way will not affect my approval of you as your superior officer.” For an off-the-cuff workaround of authority, it is rough but has the right spirit. The wording his ugly, but so is formation instinct. Fei Liu should be able to sense the good intentions.

Fei Liu looks at the servitors out of the corner of his eye. Lin Chen keeps his face carefully blank of interest. The boy is consulting with the droids when offered a small taste of freedom. Fox-like, Lin Chen caches this observation away for further thought at a later time.

Fei Liu nods, very slowly. He looks uncertain with his shoulders up around his ears.

Crouching down to catch the boy’s line of sight, Lin Chen speaks very softly. “Fei Liu, he can’t leave the room so I can ask how much you want me to disclose. Let’s go out and you can tell me.” He offers his hand to the child, and they walk out of Langya Outpost’s Black Cradle facility with their fingers linked. The three servitors follow the pair.

Mei Changsu waits in the silence, listening to the hush of the air circulating through the room. Lin Chen brought an orchid to visit today, and the air currents catch its blossoms like tiny sails, making them bob infinitesimally. Mei Changsu inspects the glowing fuschia color in rapt delight until the door opens again.

Lin Chen enters by himself. “I gave him permission to raid the pantry for melons,” says the Nirai. “And I told the kitchen staff to only leave three melons available for raiding.”

A cascading helix of integers indicates Mei Changsu’s grateful amusement on the display. It fluxes into a pattern Lin Chen recognizes as irony. “At least you don’t have to tell me about the food insecurities. I figured that out on my own.”

Lin Chen grimaces, voice equally as ironic. “How splendidly clever of you,” he says. He folds himself into a formal kneel, causing Changsu to raise a non-existent brow of nesting parabolas.

The revenant speaks next from directly across the mat in front of Lin Chen. “I’m ready when you are.”

“Twenty-eight months before you joined us, Fei Liu came into my care,” says Lin Chen. “He was a… challenge presented to me by a colleague in the Amethyst Reeds system. It seems a local governor planet-side on some little border world wanted a standing army of his very own. He wanted them loyal only to him, and so he bought some bootleg Kel programming from a source who never should have had access to the real thing in the first place. He assumed it would take better if he began with children of already impressionable age.”

“Hawkfucking bastard,” murmurs Lin Shu, horrified.

“My thoughts exactly,” says Lin Chen dryly to cover up his own visceral nausea. “My colleague extracted two dozen children, eight of whom survived. Fei Liu wasn’t responding to her treatments. She was afraid of losing him and sent him to me in desperation.” The Nirai eyes the display, monitoring Mei Changsu’s shifting readouts for instability. Psyches untethered to a physical body manifest emotions differently, and improper routing of strong emotions leads to complications when the psyche is reintroduced to a physical form. Everything looks functional if flaring with rage and sorrow.

“He came to me in very poor condition.” Lin Chen waits a moment to see if the understatement will fissure his composure. When it doesn’t, he continues. “I don’t think they let him speak. I’m not sure he understood he was a person. For the first eight months, the servitors made more progress with him than I did, probably because he identified with them more than he did with humans. The only games he knew were killing exercises dressed up with a scoring system. He had never seen a flower. I let him wreck half my garden playing at botanist because it was the first thing he showed any interest in besides throttling my assistants or food. And he hated me. He still resents me. I’m not Kel. He’s never met a real Kel. Even you’re seconded, but you’re closer to what he wants than anyone he’s ever known.”

Mei Changsu is not fooled by Lin Chen’s wry, self-mocking smile. He has no body, but he can taste Lin Chen’s hurt. He wishes he could lean forward and place a hand on the Nirai’s arm. There isn’t anything he can say that Lin Chen doesn’t already know about the situation. He is also too stunned by fury and empathy to articulate his thoughts properly.

Revenant and Nirai let silence flow between them, taking the harsh edges off their thoughts.

“I will take care of him, Lin Chen,” says Lin Shu. “I will protect him with everything that remains of me. I will make sure he always has flowers.”

Tension flows out of Lin Chen’s expression, leaving behind peace of mind. “You had better,” he says. He says it instead of _I know you will_.

“Of course,” says Mei Changsu, mock-affronted. He pauses. “What happened to the governor?” he asks off-handedly, as if he doesn’t care.

The amber light of the display reflects in Lin Chen’s eyes, making them fox-gold. “I took him apart,” says Lin Chen.

“Good,” replies the vengeful ghost.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Machineries in Fire by aboxthecolourofheartache [podfic]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17192180) by [Rhea314 (Rhea)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhea/pseuds/Rhea314)




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